The Hell of No Exit
Existentialism has always been a new way to view life. To live – to exist – without context, without labels, without definitions given by everyone else is a notion that is relieving for some and distressing for others. Written by Jean-Paul Sartre in 1944, the French play No Exit, paints a vivid and imaginative picture of an existentialist’s hell. By trapping one’s greatest fears in a room for eternity, Sartre’s intricately woven depiction of modern Hell introduces a new refreshing concept of afterlife as a form of psychological torment, which can in many cases be much worse than physical torture.
The Plot
The play starts with three recently deceased souls Inèz Serrano, Joseph Garcin, and Estelle Rigault who are locked into the same room in Hell by a valet. They all expected some form of torturing chamber, but instead found a French ‘Second Empire’ style hotel room. Garcin then tries to block both Estelle and Inèz out, but they all quickly get on each other’s nerves. Estelle then tries to find a mirror, and Inez tries to seduce her by offering to be one. None of them will reveal the true reason why they ended in here, but as they argue, each character feels more agitated and they finally decide to confess their crimes so that they know what to expect from one another: Garcin cheated on his wife and abandoned his post as a soldier in war, Inèz seduced her cousin’s wife, and Estelle cheated on her husband and drowned her illegitimate child. Eventually, …show more content…
Instead of fire and monsters, the setting of the entire play is set in a French ‘Second Empire’ style room with no visible torture instrument in sight. Then how does this Hell work? Even Garcin, the first character to enter the room, brings this question to light and aims to draw the audience in by giving a clear message: this isn’t your typical
Existentialism has always been a new way to view life. To live – to exist – without context, without labels, without definitions given by everyone else is a notion that is relieving for some and distressing for others. Written by Jean-Paul Sartre in 1944, the French play No Exit, paints a vivid and imaginative picture of an existentialist’s hell. By trapping one’s greatest fears in a room for eternity, Sartre’s intricately woven depiction of modern Hell introduces a new refreshing concept of afterlife as a form of psychological torment, which can in many cases be much worse than physical torture.
The Plot
The play starts with three recently deceased souls Inèz Serrano, Joseph Garcin, and Estelle Rigault who are locked into the same room in Hell by a valet. They all expected some form of torturing chamber, but instead found a French ‘Second Empire’ style hotel room. Garcin then tries to block both Estelle and Inèz out, but they all quickly get on each other’s nerves. Estelle then tries to find a mirror, and Inez tries to seduce her by offering to be one. None of them will reveal the true reason why they ended in here, but as they argue, each character feels more agitated and they finally decide to confess their crimes so that they know what to expect from one another: Garcin cheated on his wife and abandoned his post as a soldier in war, Inèz seduced her cousin’s wife, and Estelle cheated on her husband and drowned her illegitimate child. Eventually, …show more content…
Instead of fire and monsters, the setting of the entire play is set in a French ‘Second Empire’ style room with no visible torture instrument in sight. Then how does this Hell work? Even Garcin, the first character to enter the room, brings this question to light and aims to draw the audience in by giving a clear message: this isn’t your typical